The Uchiha Legacy
by Itachi-21
Summary: Uchiha Itachi's life is changed entirely when his beloved and trusted older sister, Tsubaki, turns against the village of Konohagakure. However, after she dies, Itachi learns something that threatens to destroy him forever.
1. The Very Beginning

The sun shone brightly down on the village of Konohagakure. People were scattered around the village, shopping, chatting, or merely walking around. A young girl, around six or seven years old, sprinted through the streets, her long black hair flowing behind her. She expertly weaved through the crowd, somehow making it through without running into anyone or knocking anything over. Some villagers shouted greetings to her, which she replied with a wave of her hand.

When she turned the last corner, she was greeted by a two-year-old boy. The boy ran towards her, arms outstretched, happily shouting, "Ane!*" She scooped him up and spun him in a circle, and he wrapped his arms around her neck, laughing.

"Ane, do you have homework today?" he asked as they started walking home.

"Not much," she replied. Seeing the boy's face brighten, she added, "Once I'm done, I'll take you to the market."

"Yay!" he cheered, jumping up and down.

The girl smiled and opened the sliding door to their house, where they was welcomed home by their mother and father.

…

"Tsubaki!" The boy, now about two years older, jumped as the sliding door banged open. He sighed, knowing exactly why the guest was here. On his fourth birthday, the Third Great Ninja War had been declared. Many ninjas had to go to war, including his father.

The guest poked his head into the living room. Seeing the boy, he smiled and asked, "Itachi, is your sister here?"

Itachi shook his head. "She's working as a Medic Ninja in the Main Group."

"All right then. Thank you." The man patted Itachi's head and left. Itachi went back to the book he was reading.

His sister, Tsubaki, had graduated from the Ninja Academy in half a year, at seven years of age. She had just recently mastered the Sharingan, the sacred eye technique that was special to the Uchiha Clan and allowed the user to predict and copy moves.

Now that the war had started, Tsubaki was almost never home. Her talent and quick-thinking were needed in the Medical Corps. She would have been sent to fight, but Mother refused to allow it. Her exact words were, "How would you feel if I forced your nine-year-old child into the fight?"

His father was the Captain of a battle squad, and his group was in charge of ambush and traps. So far, no enemies had made it into Konoha, either being incapacitated by the traps, or getting killed by the ambushes.

Itachi sighed and put down his book. There was nothing to do. He wasn't allowed out of the house anymore because his mother was afraid that the village would get attacked and he wouldn't know what to do. Tsubaki used to take him to the shops all the time, but the war took that away.

The sliding door slid open again. "Itachi!"

Itachi brightened. The one calling him was none other than his best friend, Uchiha Shisui. Shisui was around Itachi's age, older by only a month.

"I was getting bored," Itachi greeted Shisui as the latter came in.

Shisui said nothing; he merely walked up to Itachi, grabbed him by the upper arm, and tugged him towards the door.

"Shisui, what are you doing?"

"Let's sneak into the main medical group."

"What? No! We'd get into trouble with our parents, not to mention the Hokage, too!" Itachi tried to free his arm from Shisui's grasp. No luck.

"We won't be seen," Shisui refused to be swayed. "We'll sneak into where the medics are. We won't get into the way, and besides, you want to see Tsubaki, don't you?"

Itachi hesitated. He did want to get out of the house and see his sister, but at the same time, he didn't want to get into trouble. However, his hesitation gave Shisui a chance to yank him out the door. Now, Itachi had no choice but to go.

Getting to the hospital was not too big a problem since the streets were practically empty. Getting IN the hospital was the really challenging part. No one except medic ninjas and injured shinobi were allowed in. If Itachi and Shisui were found, they would be punished severely.

"Give me a hoist so I can get onto the roof," Shisui whispered to Itachi. Itachi obeyed. Shisui scrambled onto the roof, then turned back and pulled Itachi up. They had to repeat the process a couple times since the building had several floors and each floor had a roof that jutted out.

After they managed to get onto the fifth floor's roof, they were surprised by a voice.

"Looks like I've got visitors."

Shisui cried out in shock and fear, lost his footing, and rolled towards the edge. He barreled into Itachi, bringing his best friend with him. But before they could fall to their deaths, someone grabbed their collars and hoisted them back, letting both of them regain their balance.

Once they recovered from the near-death experience, they looked up into the face of their savior, who was none other than Uchiha Tsubaki. Both breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that she was smiling at them.

_***Ane means older sister.**_

_**Itachi-21 here. Second fan fiction I've ever written. As you probably read from the summary, this fan fiction will be mostly about Itachi. There will be a couple minor changes, but most of the story follows Masashi Kishimoto's story. Hope you enjoy it anyway, and reviews are always welcome!**_


	2. Gari no Bakuton

"You know that you aren't supposed to be here." Tsubaki cast a stern glance at her little brother and his best friend. Itachi looked at the floor, unable to meet his sister's eyes.

Shisui, however, wasn't intimidated. "It's my fault, Tsubaki-san. I made Itachi come. Don't blame him."

"I don't blame him," Tsubaki corrected Shisui, "In fact; I blame myself for not going home more often."

Itachi's head shot up. "Ane, it's not your fault. You're needed here."

"Before we get into a full-scale argument about whose fault it is, you and Shisui should get home, Little Weasel."

Itachi relaxed slightly. The fact that his sister just called him "Little Weasel" means that she wasn't angry. Itachi couldn't even remember if he had ever gotten into trouble with Tsubaki. If he did something wrong, she never told their parents.

However, as Itachi and Shisui turned to leave, the door to Tsubaki's room flew open. The three of them spun around in alarm to see a 10-year-old girl standing there. The girl's Sharingan was activated, and she was panting, as though she had run all the way to the hospital.

Everybody silently thanked God that it wasn't anyone else.

"Hello, Kaeri. Why are you here?" Tsubaki asked her best friend. "Shouldn't you be with my father's Ambush Patrol?"

It took Kaeri a while to answer. Once she got her breath back, she said, "A large group of ninjas from Iwagakure made it past us. They're coming to attack the village. I came here as fast as I could to warn Hokage-sama."

Itachi felt a rush of fear. Iwagakure was one of the nations that absolutely hated Konoha. They never showed mercy to Konoha shinobi.

Tsubaki's forehead creased. "They came to attack when most of our ninjas were at war. That's a strategy."

"Ane, what should we do?" Itachi asked.

Tsubaki stared down at him for a few seconds, and then turned to Kaeri. "Can you take these two back?"

"But I have to tell Hokage-sama."

"I'll do that. You use your Light Style to travel as fast as possible. I'll use Dark Style to find Hokage-sama."

Tsubaki walked over to the wall and grabbed the sword that hung there. She formed a hand sign and faded quickly, disappearing entirely right before the other three's eyes.

"Right, let's hurry," Kaeri took Itachi's and Shisui's hands and led them out the door.

"Kaeri-san! What are you doing here? And why are there kids here?" The head of the Medical Corps stopped them.

"The ninjas of Iwagakure are attacking! I'm taking these two home," Kaeri answered.

The medical ninjas looked terrified. "Has the Hokage been warned?" one of them called.

"Tsubaki is doing that as we speak," Kaeri replied as she ran out the door.

"Kaeri-san, how are you going to carry us?" Shisui asked, worried.

"I won't. You two will have to run as fast as you can."

…

The three of them ran through the streets, pursued by an Iwa shinobi. About ten seconds after they had left the medical building, Iwagakure had attacked. The few shinobi guarding the village were being overwhelmed by the crushing force of Iwa.

Suddenly, their pursuer jumped in front of them, blocking their escape route. The Iwagakure ninja had spiky, light brown hair and green eyes. He wore the traditional Iwa clothing: a flak jacket with a single-sleeved shirt.

"Well, well. Looks like some little children playing ninja," he sneered.

"You're Gari of the Bakuton, correct?" Kaeri placed her hand on the hilt of the sword she carried with her.

"I'm flattered: Konoha children even know my name."

Kaeri drew her sword. The blade of the sword immediately began crackling with electricity as she held it in front of her. Itachi and Shisui watched with fascination and fear.

"Isn't that the Yang Sword from the legends?" Shisui's eyes reflected the dancing electrical bolts.

"Yes, it is," Kaeri said, eyes focused on Gari.

"Oh? That is the sword spoken of from the legends?" Gari smirked. "This should be amusing. Where's your counterpart?"

"Not here."

"That's too bad." He attacked. Kaeri shoved Itachi and Shisui out of the way before blocking Gari's attack with a swing of her sword. Gari jumped back, eyes narrowed, assessing the Yang Sword.

The electricity from the sword disappeared and was replaced by flames. Kaeri charged forward, sword raised. Gari refused to use any weapons. Instead, he aimed one punch after another while dodging the slices from the Yang Sword. Itachi and Shisui both noticed that Kaeri was making sure to avoid contact with Gari's fists.

"Why doesn't she cut Gari's hands off?" Shisui whispered to Itachi.

"Tsubaki told me that anything Gari touches with his hands will explode," Itachi answered.

"Shouldn't Kaeri-san call for back-up? Gari is a pretty dangerous shinobi, right?"

Itachi glanced around. "There's nobody close enough to help. We can only hope someone will come along."

A giant fireball roared down the street. Kaeri stood alone; Gari was nowhere to be seen. Itachi and Shisui started to come out of hiding, but Kaeri yelled, "Stay where you are!"

She was looking around warily, searching for Gari, who had hidden himself underground.

Suddenly, the earth beneath Kaeri exploded, shrouding her in a cloud of dust.

"Kaeri-san!" Itachi and Shisui cried at the same time. The dust cleared to reveal Gari standing in the middle of a large hole. Kaeri was nowhere to be seen.

_**For those of you who are wondering why the Yang Sword didn't explode when it came into contact that first time with Gari's fists, it's because the sword is from ancient shinobi times. It's imbued with a legendary power that resisted Gari. **_

_**The Yang Sword has a counterpart that will be revealed next chapter. Reviews are appreciated, and thanks for reading!**_


	3. Yin-Yang

_**Thank God for winter break!**_

"The Yang Sword wielder wasn't a challenge after all." Gari was disappointed. He turned to where Itachi and Shisui stood. "I'll just finish these kids off and head back."

Itachi and Shisui scrambled away from the Bakuton user as fast as they could, but it wasn't fast enough. Gari was easily closing the distance between them. However, just as he was within touching distance of the two boys, something flew in front of him. He jumped back.

A floating orb hovered in front of Itachi and Shisui, preventing Gari from approaching. The orb was black with purple, flame-like energy emanating from it, and it was about twelve inches in diameter.

Gari looked up. "Oh? It looks like the counterpart for the Yang Sword is finally here."

Itachi and Shisui stared up at the figure standing on the roof of a shop to their right. Three more of the same orbs circled them. Itachi thought the person looked familiar, but he couldn't remember who it could be.

"Leave the children alone, Gari no Bakuton," the figure called.

Gari smirked. "If you can defeat me, Tsubaki of the Dark Style."

"Ane!" Itachi yelled.

"Tsubaki-san! He killed Kaeri-san!" Shisui cried, pointing at Gari.

Tsubaki jumped down from the roof, landing next to Shisui. "What happened to Kaeri?"

"He blew her up!" Shisui was still pointing at Gari.

"No, he didn't." Tsubaki turned to face Gari. "Kaeri is perfectly fine."

"But-"

"Shisui-kun, remember that she is Kaeri no Hikariton*. She can move at the speed of light when she wants to. She won't die easily."

"I don't care about the Light Style user anymore. Fight me with your Yin Sword, Tsubaki no Kuraiton**. I want a challenge," Gari demanded.

"And you'll get one," Tsubaki replied, drawing her sword.

A maniacal gleam appeared in Gari's eyes. "I will become a legend after the five nations learn that I defeated the Yin-Yang Duo of Konoha!"

"I wouldn't make assumptions if I were you." Tsubaki withdrew the four Orbs of Darkness. "Bring it."

Gari lunged forward, aiming a blow at Tsubaki's stomach. Tsubaki dodged to one side, but Gari was prepared. He swung his other fist, and it seemed to find its mark this time. However, he _slipped through _Tsubaki's body, blowing up the wall behind her instead.

Tsubaki spun on one foot and swung the Yin Sword. Gari, who was unprepared this time, ended up with a slash across his chest. The wound barely seemed to affect him, and he attacked again, launching a powerful kick that would have broken Tsubaki's ribs if his foot didn't pass through her again.

"The wielder of the Yin Sword lives up to her reputation," Gari growled.

"As long as I am using the Yin Sword, every attack will pass through me without any effect," Tsubaki explained, putting her sword away, "Then again, I don't like using this sword. It feels evil."

"Well, I'm interested to see how you're gonna fight me without that." Gari obviously thought Tsubaki depended on her sword.

"Using these." With a wave of her arm, Tsubaki summoned the four Dark Orbs. Itachi gulped. When his sister used the Dark Orbs, it meant that her opponent was formidable.

_Please win, Ane. _He begged.

_***Hikariton means Light Style**_

_****Kuraiton means Dark Style**_

_**Sorry for the short chapter. I have a bit of writer's block. Just FYI, this will be the last chapter in the year of 2012. I have other fanfictions to work on, and then I'm moving. Therefore, I won't have much time to work on this. Please bear with me, and be patient. Reviews are appreciated!**_


	4. End of the War

_Boom!_ Gari's fist blew up another store, showering Itachi and Shisui with bits of wood and metal.

Tsubaki and Gari had been using taijutsu against each other while Tsubaki's Dark Orbs weaved between them. From what Itachi knew, the Dark Orbs were protecting Tsubaki while trying to attack Gari. He didn't know exactly what the Orbs do since Tsubaki had refused to tell him when he asked.

The two exchanged last blows and jumped apart. "Those orbs are bothersome," Gari said, skidding to a halt a couple feet away.

"I control them with my will," Tsubaki replied.

"That makes them even more bothersome," Gari declared, straightening up, "But they can't move fast, can they?"

He vanished, and the next thing Itachi knew, Tsubaki was flying backwards due to a kick from Gari. But something was off. There was a blank look in his sister's eyes and she seemed to float in the air. As Itachi watched, Tsubaki faded. Her outline shivered and disappeared as though blown away by the wind.

"A Dark Clone, huh," Gari was impressed. Suddenly, a blow to his chest flung him to the ground.

"What the…?" He looked around wildly but saw nothing. Instead, another blow to the back of his neck stunned him, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Looks like you're done." Kaeri appeared next to the unconscious Gari.

"You took your time, Kaeri." One of the Dark Orbs shifted to form the outline of Tsubaki.

"I told Hokage-sama about the situation here. He'll be coming here after he deals with the other Iwagakure intruders."

"Which means right now." Tsubaki nodded at the group of Konoha shinobi approaching them, led by the Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

"I'm impressed with the two of you," the Fourth Hokage said to Tsubaki and Kaeri.

"Thank you very much, Hokage-sama," they replied.

Itachi flinched slightly as the Fourth Hokage's gaze reached him. Surprisingly, the Hokage smiled.

"Is this your little brother Itachi?" he asked Tsubaki.

Tsubaki looked a little nervous. "Yes, sir."

"Perhaps you should take him and his friend home. He's seen enough fighting for today. After you've done that, I would like to see you and Kaeri in my office. The war is over."

Itachi's eyes widened. Next to him, Shisui's mouth had dropped open. The war was over?

Seeing their reactions, the Hokage chuckled and said, "The Five Great Nations have come to a decision: winning this war isn't going to benefit anyone. Therefore, we've decided to put an end to it before it becomes endless."

He turned back to Tsubaki. "Go ahead and take them home," he urged, "I still have to take care of this Iwagakure shinobi."

"Understood," Tsubaki replied and began ushering Itachi and Shisui in the direction of their houses.

* * *

"Itachi, I told you not to go off on your own!" Itachi's mother, Mikoto, glared down at him.

"I'm sorry, Mother. I wanted to see Ane since she hasn't been home for weeks," Itachi hung his head.

"Promise me you won't ever do something like that again, no matter the reason!"

"I promise, Mother."

Mikoto relaxed slightly. "Good. Now let's go wait for your father."

The sliding door opened, and Tsubaki called, "Mother?"

"I'm here, sweetie."

Tsubaki walked into the room. "Hello, Little Weasel. Mother, Hokage-sama has assigned me another mission."

"What mission?" Mikoto sounded worried.

"I don't know yet. He just said that he has a mission for me and Kaeri. He'll give it to us tomorrow, and we start tomorrow night."

"All right then. And you should tell your father when he gets back. He'll probably be pleased."

* * *

"Do you at least know what rank it is?" Fugaku asked his daughter.

"No, Father. Hokage-sama is going to go over the details tomorrow morning."

"Well, make sure you're at his office on time. Make a good impression."

"…understood."

"Ane, what do you think the mission will be about?" Itachi asked, tugging on his sister's hand.

Tsubaki glanced down at him. "If I had to guess, it would probably be a mission that has to do with the war. There is still tension between the nations, and Hokage-sama might want someone to keep an eye on the other nations."

"You'll be okay, right Ane?"

She smiled and ruffled his hair. "Of course I will, Little Weasel. And while I'm gone, you need to be careful not to get into more trouble."

"Off to bed now, you two," Mikoto sent Itachi and Tsubaki to their rooms, turning off the lights in the process.

_**Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope you all got what you wanted. You all can give me a Christmas present by reviewing on my story! **__** Thanks for reading!**_


	5. Disappearance

"Did Ane leave already?" Itachi asked his mother the next morning.

"Yes. She left about fifteen minutes ago," Mikoto answered, placing breakfast in front of him.

"Mother, after breakfast can we go to the market?"

Mikoto looked surprised. "What for?"

"For Ane's birthday present."

"Of course," Mikoto smiled, "In fact, I don't think Tsubaki remembers that today is her birthday."

* * *

"Can we get this, Mother?" Itachi stared at the red dragon-shaped hair clip.

Mikoto walked over with the bouquet of flowers they had bought earlier. "Sure, Itachi. Why don't you hand the money to the lady?"

"Ok," Itachi agreed cheerfully, holding out the money to the lady selling the hair clip.

* * *

"I'm home!" Tsubaki's voice made Itachi jump up, grab the bouquet and the hair clip, and run to greet his sister.

"Ane!" Itachi tackled Tsubaki in a hug, "Happy birthday!" He thrust the flowers and the hair clip into her hands.

Tsubaki looked surprised for a moment, but then she smiled. Taking the hair clip, she clipped the hair on the right side of her head. She bent down and gave Itachi a hug, ruffled his hair, and said, "Thank you, Itachi."

Mikoto came in. "Are you going to be celebrating your birthday with us, Tsubaki?"

Tsubaki looked apologetic. "I'm sorry. Hokage-sama wants me and Kaeri to leave on the mission immediately. I just came back to get some things."

Itachi couldn't help but let out a disappointed sigh.

Tsubaki glanced at him, regret and something else showing in her eyes. "Sorry, Little Weasel. I have to go now." She gently pulled herself free from Itachi's grasp and went into her room, closing the door behind her.

Mikoto patted Itachi's head lightly. "I'm sure she'll have more time after the mission."

"Do you really think so?" Itachi looked up hopefully.

Mikoto nodded. "Why don't you go find Shisui?" She gave him a nudge to the door.

"Ok." Itachi sprinted out the door.

* * *

"I dunno, Shisui. Something was off," Itachi tried to explain to his best friend.

Shisui frowned. "Are you sure she isn't just, I don't know, still affected by the war?"

Itachi shook his head. "Tsubaki wouldn't dwell over anything."

* * *

That night, Itachi heard his father talking to Tsubaki.

"What rank is this mission?" Fugaku asked.

"S-rank."

"What do you have to do?"

There was a pause. "I can't say. The mission is meant to be covert." Itachi was surprised to hear Tsubaki speak in such an emotionless voice.

Fugaku sounded surprised. "Surely you can tell your own father."

"I can't."

There was a long silence. "Very well then. Just make sure this mission is a success," Fugaku dismissed his daughter.

Itachi started walking to his room as Tsubaki answered, "Understood."

* * *

The sliding door banged open. "Uchiha-san!"

Fugaku hurried to the front door. "What is it?"

Itachi peeked past his father to see an ANBU black ops standing in the doorway.

"Why didn't Tsubaki report to the Hokage's office as ordered?" ANBU growled.

"What are you talking about?" Fugaku asked. "She left the house last night with Kaeri."

"Ah, yes. About Kaeri…" the ANBU black ops held up a necklace covered in blood, "…we found her body this morning. She is dead."

Fugaku stared in shock. Itachi felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Mikoto. Before she could guide him away, the ANBU spoke again.

"Kaeri had been dead for hours when we found her. Judging from the wounds on her body, she was murdered," the ANBU's voice hardened, "And we think Tsubaki has something to do with it."

"No!" Itachi cried before he could stop himself. Fugaku whipped around and glared at him, but Itachi didn't care.

"Ane would never kill Kaeri-san! It's all a mistake!" he yelled.

"Itachi! You should not be listening to this! Mikoto, please take him away!" Fugaku commanded.

Mikoto scooped Itachi into her arms and carried him to the backyard. He clung to her, crying. They could still hear Fugaku arguing with the ANBU out in the front.

After a while, Fugaku came to the back. He looked tired and worried.

"What did they say?" Mikoto asked her husband.

"They are turning this matter into an all-out investigation," he replied.

"What about the Yang Sword?" Mikoto questioned, "Surely, the Hokage is going to guard that sword and make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

"He can't. The Yang Sword disappeared according to the ANBU Black Ops." Fugaku went back inside the house. Mikoto stared after her husband.

"Mother," Itachi whispered, "Ane will come back, right?"

Mikoto hugged her son tightly. "She will. I promise you she will." She stood up. "Let's go back inside, Itachi."

She swayed a little on the spot before collapsing in a heap. "Mother!" Itachi screamed. He shook her, but she did not wake up. "Father, something's happened to Mother!"

Fugaku came running back out. "What?" He stopped abruptly when he saw Mikoto on the ground. After a pause, he lifted her and said, "Itachi, stay in the house and do not open the door to anybody. I'm taking your mother to the hospital!" He took off running in the direction of the medical building.

_**Wow, what a hectic day for Itachi. First, his sister disappears, Kaeri is murdered, and now, Mikoto faints. Show your support for Itachi by leaving a review! Thanks for reading!**_


	6. News

_**I'm sorry I updated so late! My family moved so I was busy packing and unpacking. Also, I couldn't work on this in the car. Please forgive!**_

Itachi paced restlessly around the house, waiting for his parents to come back. His father finally came back at around noon, but Mikoto was not with him.

"Father, what's wrong with Mother?" Itachi asked.

Fugaku kneeled in front of his son. To Itachi's surprise, he was smiling. "I have great news for you, Itachi."

"What, Father?"

"You are going to be a big brother soon." As the words sunk in, Itachi's eyes grew huge. He hugged Fugaku, who hugged him right back.

"This means Ane has two younger brothers now, right?" Itachi wondered.

"That's right." Fugaku patted Itachi's head, "And about your sister, I have a Clan meeting tonight where the Clan will be discussing the incident of Kaeri. Your mother will be coming home in the afternoon, and she'll be staying with you. Don't worry your mother now."

Itachi nodded enthusiastically. When his little brother comes, Itachi won't be the youngest in the family anymore. He couldn't wait to be a big brother now.

* * *

The next morning…

"Itachi! Wake up! You have to come to the village meeting!" Shisui exploded into Itachi's room, scaring the latter half to death.

"Shisui! What are you doing here?" Itachi yelled.

"I let him in," Mikoto said from the doorway, laughing at the boys' way of greeting each other.

"Yeah. I came to get you so we could go to the village meeting together!" Shisui babbled.

"The two of you can go together as long as you don't cause any trouble and remain respectful as Hokage-sama speaks," Mikoto chided.

"We will!" The two boys chorused.

Itachi raced to Tsubaki's room. "Ane, I'm…" his voice trailed off as yesterday's events rushed back to him. Mikoto laid a comforting hand on her son's shoulder.

* * *

"Look! They're starting!" Shisui said, pulling on Itachi's hand to urge Itachi into running faster.

"I have both good news and bad news to share!" the Yondaime Hokage called to the assembled villagers and shinobi, "I ask that you listen carefully."

"As you probably all know by now, the Third Great Shinobi World War has come to an end!" Cheers erupted from the crowd. "I would like to acknowledge all of our courageous ninjas and talented medics who helped Konoha deal with it. However, two of our guard ninjas were killed two nights ago. Their bodies were found at the South Gate." Mumurs of shock and fear ran through the villagers and shinobis tensed.

"Our valued ninja, Uchiha Kaeri, was also murdered on the same night." Screams came from some villagers and questions were hurled from all sides of the crowd. The Hokage waved for silence, but it was a while before he could be heard again.

"I will take your questions one by one, starting with you in the front." He pointed to a tall man at the front of the crowd.

"How was she killed?" the man asked.

"Her heart was pierced with a kunai. That was the only wound found on her body."

"What happened to the Yang Sword?" a woman wearing a hat called.

"Unfortunately, the Yang Sword has disappeared. The ANBU has not been able to locate it," the Hokage replied.

Talking rose among the people in the crowd once more. The chattering kept going on and on until another voice shouted, "What about Uchiha Tsubaki?"

Itachi strained his ears to hear what the Hokage would say to that.

"Uchiha Tsubaki, like the Yang Sword, has also vanished. Now," the Hokage held up his hands as the silence threatened to shatter again, "I know you must all be wondering if Tsubaki killed Kaeri, but the ANBU has looked into this and discovered nothing that suggests this is how Kaeri died. Until evidence is found, we will maintain that Kaeri was killed by an unknown shinobi."

There was some muttering at this, but no one argued out loud. The Hokage continued with news.

"The Sannin Orochimaru has also decided to leave us. Last night, the Third Hokage…" the Fourth gestured to the old man, who was standing beside him, "…discovered him doing experiments on living humans."

"What kind of experiments?" Shisui called out, unable to contain his curiosity.

The Fourth glanced down at where he and Itachi stood. "He was trying to create a jutsu that grants the user immortality."

"And how is that bad?" Shisui asked. Itachi tugged on his friend's sleeve to try to get him to shut up.

"He was using living humans against their will. Orochimaru would dissect them and mutilate them. When one of them died, he would capture another person to replace it."

Shisui looked a little green, and Itachi felt queasy.

"Perhaps you two should go home," the Fourth suggested lightly.

* * *

After the meeting…

"How was the meeting, dear?" Mikoto asked Itachi. Shisui had gone back home to tell his parents the big news.

"There seemed to be more bad news than good news," Itachi replied.

"Tell us," Fugaku invited.

"Well, they did talk about Tsubaki and Kaeri," Itachi said.

"What did the Hokage say about them?"

"He said that until evidence is found, it will be assumed that Kaeri was killed by an unknown shinobi."

"That's good. I won't have my daughter charged with a crime she didn't commit." Fugaku took a sip of tea.

"Anything else?" Mikoto asked.

"Orochimaru left Konoha." Itachi remembered.

Fugaku nearly choked. "What?"

"One of the Legendary Sannin has abandoned the village?" Mikoto stared at Itachi.

"That's what Hokage-sama said." Itachi was slightly startled by his parents' reactions.

"The war is over but Konoha still suffers," Fugaku muttered.

"I'm sure it won't be like this forever," Mikoto soothed her husband.

_**I have posted the approximate release dates for the future chapters of this story on my profile. Please remember that those dates are APPROXIMATE, so the chapter may come out sooner or later. The release dates for my other fanfictions are also listed there.**_

_**There is a poll for this story up on my profile. Please be kind enough to take the time to cast your vote.**_

_**Thanks for reading, and please review!**_


	7. Progression

_**I hate my new school! So much homework! And no, I am not an organized person and I get distracted easily.**_

Two years later…

"Congratulations on entering the Academy. I know that you will all do your best to carry out the duty of a shinobi," the Third Hokage called from where he stood at the front doors of the Ninja Academy.

In the last two years, the Kyuubi, or Nine-Tailed Fox, had attacked Konoha. Itachi's mother and father had been away, leaving Itachi and little Sasuke alone at home. The Fourth Hokage had died, sealing the Kyuubi's chakra into his own son, Uzumaki Naruto. Believing that the Uchiha Clan had something to do with the attack, the village counselors and Danzo had forced every Uchiha to relocate to a small corner of the village, where the ANBU black ops kept a close eye on the Clan. A statue of the Yin-Yang symbol had been erected in the center of the village in honor of Tsubaki and Kaeri. The Third Hokage decided that Tsubaki was now dead because she had not been seen or heard from since that day. Itachi and Shisui were now entering the Ninja Academy to begin training. Both six years old, they were known for their natural skills at fighting.

Itachi glanced back to where his parents were standing. His mother smiled, and his father nodded. Sasuke, who was carried by Mikoto, waved a tiny fist in the air. Itachi couldn't help grinning at how cute his little brother was. He missed his sister and wished that Tsubaki could see Sasuke as well.

Suddenly, this feeling washed over him. The feeling that he was being watched. He turned his head from side to side, looking for anyone suspicious. Shisui shot him a look that said, "Stop fidgeting!" Itachi ignored him, staring up at the trees. For a split second, he could've sworn he saw a ninja hidden among the leaves. However, the figure vanished before Itachi could get a closer look.

* * *

"What was the matter with you at the ceremony?" Shisui asked as he and Itachi walked around town.

"I saw someone watching us from the trees," Itachi replied, shivering slightly as he remembered the intensity of the gaze.

"I didn't see or feel anything. You sure they weren't just spying on you?" Shisui added a little joke to try to alleviate the tense atmosphere.

"Why would anyone want to spy on me?"

"I dunno." Shisui shrugged.

Itachi suddenly changed direction and headed for the Hokage's building. "Hey, where are you going?" Shisui called.

"I'm going to tell Hokage-sama about what happened," Itachi replied without looking back.

Shisui frowned at his best friend's retreating figure. "Fine. Knock yourself out," he muttered before settling down in front of a shop to wait.

* * *

Itachi knocked on the door to the Hokage's office. "Enter," the Third called.

Itachi opened the door to see the Third Hokage closing a window. "I rarely get such young visitors," the Third smiled.

Itachi bowed to the leader of the village. Now that he was here, he didn't know how to start. The Hokage spoke instead, "Just go ahead and say what you've got to say. No need for an opening statement or anything."

Itachi smiled slightly. "Hokage-sama, today at the entrance ceremony, I…got this feeling," he explained.

The Hokage raised an eyebrow. "And what feeling was this, may I ask?"

"It felt like someone was watching me."

"Someone was watching you? Did you see anyone suspicious?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. I saw someone hidden in the trees. But they disappeared before I could identify who it was."

Lord Third leaned back. "I see. Well, thank you for telling me this, Itachi. I will notify the ANBU and the other reliable shinobis we have in this village."

Itachi could tell he was being dismissed. He bowed again before turning to leave.

"Itachi."

Itachi turned with his hand still on the knob. The Hokage stared at him from behind the desk. "I wish you well on your journey to become a shinobi."

Itachi was slightly surprised to hear the Hokage say this. Nevertheless, he murmured, "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

* * *

One year later…

"Very well done, you two," Lord Third smiled down at Itachi and Shisui, "Graduating from the Academy in just one year. Your parents will be very proud."

"Thank you very much, Hokage-sama," Itachi and Shisui both murmured. The academy training had taken away some of the lightheartedness between the two. They were much more serious than a year ago, when they just started.

"Well done, both of you!" Mikoto cried as Itachi and Shisui walked towards the parents' section. She gave Itachi a kiss and Shisui a hug.

"Nii-san! You graduated!" Sasuke tackled Itachi, nearly knocking his older brother to the ground, "Does this mean you'll have more time to play with me?"

Itachi poked Sasuke's forehead. "Sorry, Sasuke. I'm going to be getting missions soon. Maybe when I'm free, ok?"

"Ok," Sasuke pouted but reluctantly agreed. Mikoto and Shisui both chuckled at the bond between the two brothers.

Fugaku stepped forward. "Well done, Itachi. That's my boy." Sasuke looked a little upset but didn't say anything.

"Thank you, Father," Itachi bowed his head slightly but couldn't help feeling a little annoyed by Fugaku's lack of interest in Sasuke.

* * *

"We're on the same team with a girl called Firuka. Our sensei is someone called Genma," Shisui read the list of teams posted outside the Hokage's building.

Itachi stared at the foreboding storm clouds in the sky. "It's probably gonna rain today. Let's get inside."

"Did you hear anything I said?" Shisui grumbled as they started walking home.

"Sensei is Genma, and the third member of our team is called Firuka," Itachi answered.

"Ok, then."

Suddenly, a large gust of wind blew across the land. The storm clouds started to scatter. Itachi, Shisui, and anyone else who was currently outside clung to something to prevent themselves from getting blown away. The wind finally stopped when the last of the storm clouds disappeared.

"What was that?" Shisui wondered, scanning the sky for any clouds that hadn't been blown away by the gale.

"That wind wasn't natural. It was a jutsu," Itachi analyzed.

"Maybe someone from our village used Wind Style to get rid of the clouds," Shisui suggested.

"No," Itachi disagreed, "Nobody in our village has a wind jutsu strong enough to disperse the clouds like that."

"All right. Fine. Let's see…" Shisui tapped his chin, thinking, "How about a Sand Ninja?"

"Maybe a Sand Ninja is visiting this village and was kind enough to spare us the storm," Itachi thought that was possible.

"That's gotta be it!" Shisui snapped his fingers, "After all, the Sand are our allies…"

"Yeah, whatever. Let's go; I'm hungry."

* * *

Five cloaked ninjas emerged from the cave. By a silent agreement, they jumped into the trees and headed for Konoha, their cloaks billowing behind them. Four of them had removed their hoods. One of them had long, silver hair cascading down her back. A second carried a large fan with a slashed forehead protector around the head. The third had snake-like eyes and a large snake was draped around his shoulders. The fourth was a young boy with spiky gray hair and bored eyes. The last one kept her hood up with only a bit of her ebony hair sticking out.

"What are we supposed to get again? The Kyuubi?" the silver-haired woman asked.

"That's what Leader-sama said, Fukoku. Stop forgetting everything you're told!" the snake-man snapped.

"Oh, shut up, old snake."

"I still don't understand why Leader doesn't just send two of us," the fan-carrier muttered.

"The Kyuubi is the hardest to get, and Konoha is a pretty powerful nation," the young boy answered.

"Yeah, but we're all S-ranked criminals. Well, with the exception of my partner here," the fan-carrier glanced back at the fifth person. Her partner stared back.

"Now, now, Momuri. Don't anger your partner more than you need to," the boy let out a cold snicker.

"It's not like I try to anger her, Natsubishi," Momuri grumbled.

"For this mission, let's just try to make nobody angry," snake-man soothed.

"Except the people of Konoha, Orochimaru," Natsubishi added.

"Well, these storm clouds are already pissing me off," Fukoku grumbled, glaring at the dark sky.

Momuri rolled her eyes. She stopped on the next branch, whipped out her fan, and swung it through the air. Wind Style: Hurricane Gale!

A fierce wind came up and blew the clouds away in a matter of seconds.

"Better?" Momuri smirked, putting her fan away.

"Loads," Fukoku said.

"We've arrived at the border of Konoha," Orochimaru said.

"Leader-sama said that we attack at nightfall," Momuri reminded the others, "Let's stay here for now."

"Orochimaru, Fukoku, and I are the first patrol. We attack first. You and your partner," Natsubishi pointed at Momuri and the fifth figure, who still hadn't spoken a word, "are supposed to attack when Fukoku sends up a blue light."

"We know, Natsubishi, we know," Momuri sat down on a large rock, laying her fan down beside her, "And when Leader gives us the order to retreat, we obey it without question."

_**Hey, everyone.**_

_**The new characters I introduced at the end of this chapter are from the (da da da duuuuum) AKATSUKI! I created Fukoku, Momuri, Natsubishi, and the fifth one (I'm sure you all know who that is but I'm still not gonna reveal her here). They are all very powerful shinobi (don't mess with them).**_

_**I will be updating this story after I gain 5 reviews, so start reviewing if you want to know Fukoku, Momuri, and Natsubishi's special skills. The fifth person's special skills have been shown in the story already, but this time, there will be more! Ninjas don't sit around doing nothing, you know!**_

_**Thanks for reading, and REVIEW!**_


	8. Attack

_**Since I am such a nice person, I have decided to continue updating on behalf of reviewer Kiyomi Takashima, who begged me to update.**_

"Hokage-sama…" the ANBU captain stared at the Third, waiting for a reaction.

"I know," Lord Third answered without turning away from the window, "Set up some defenses as a precaution and alert the rest of ANBU and the jonins."

"Understood!" The ANBU captain disappeared.

"Hopefully, the information I have will be enough," the Hokage prayed.

* * *

_Thunk, thunk, thunk!_

The kuanis landed in perfect formation around the target. Itachi straightened up, observing his work. _That was easy,_ he thought as he yanked the kunais back out. Casting a glance at the darkening sky, Itachi packed up and started to head home.

Suddenly, a loud explosion and an earthquake nearly made the young Uchiha lose his balance and fall on his face.

"What the…?" Itachi spun around in the direction of the explosion to see a giant snake weaving its way around the houses, crushing anything in its path. A cloaked and hooded figure stood on top of the snake's head.

The village was under attack.

Instinctively, Itachi started to run for home, dodging between the frightened villagers.

* * *

"What's a little boy doing here?" a Konoha shinobi stared down at the gray-haired child.

"He shouldn't be wandering outside at a time like this," a second Konoha shinobi grabbed the boy's hand, "How old are you, kid?"

Natsubishi smirked from under his hood. "Old enough…to kill."

Before the ninja holding his hand could react, ten steel poles shot up from the ground. The tips of the poles met above the Konoha ninja, trapping him inside. He stared around wildly, screaming for help.

Natsubishi turned his coldly amused gaze to the rest of the patrol that had found him. "Tell me where the Kyuubi is," he demanded, "or this one dies."

"Myugo!" The rest of the patrol cried.

"You must be Natsubishi of the Steel Style from Iwagakure," the caged man, Myugo, realized, staring at Natsubishi in shock.

"That is correct." Natsubishi gave the Konoha ninjas a sarcastic smile.

"Why would you do this?"

Natsubishi glared at his opponents. "That does not concern you. Now, are you going to tell me where the Kyuubi is, or are you going to watch this village fall?"

The Konoha shinobi hesitated. Natsubishi nodded once. "Very well." Turning to Myugo, he formed a couple signs.

Steel Style: Metal-Cage Murder!

Blades of steel burst from the surrounding poles, stabbing into Myugo's vital spots. Blood spurted from the cage, splattering Natsubishi and the Konoha ninjas that were forced to watch Myugo die.

"This is one of my favorite jutsus." Natsubishi patted the metal cage, "Although a fellow missing-nin is helping me create a new technique."

"This boy…he's a monster…" a gasp came from the frozen Konoha forces.

The gasp seemed to have refocused Natsubishi's attention. He smiled. "Which one of you is next?"

* * *

"Who the hell are you?" Another Konoha patrol had found a silver-haired woman blocking their path to the Hokage's office.

"How rude! You shouldn't swear in front of a woman, you know!" Fukoku pouted mockingly.

"Whatever, lady. Move aside; we need to speak with the Hokage!" A ninja darted forward, intent on entering the building. However, Fukoku dealt him a quick blow to the chest and sent him flying back to his comrades.

"Why, you…!" The ninja who had just been kicked snapped. He turned to the others, "Knock her out with a genjutsu. We'll take her in for questioning."

A young kunoichi formed a couple hand seals to activate a genjutsu. To Konoha's surprise, Fukoku just stood there, allowing herself to fall prey to the illusion.

Suddenly, the kunoichi shrieked and stumbled back. Fukoku permitted a grin to appear on her face.

"Kurenai, what happened?" a young man caught the kunoichi.

"Genjutsu…does not affect her," Kurenai whispered.

"Good thing you realized that," Fukoku's grin grew wider, "I'm from the Village Hidden in the Shadows. Shadow ninjas are immune to genjutsu."

"A couple years ago, a shinobi had left the Shadow Village and disappeared. You must be this ninja," the young man holding Kurenai said.

"Asuma, don't waste your words with this bitch!" A third Konoha shinobi charged forward to confront Fukoku.

Fukoku whipped out a chain. "Let's have some fun, shall we?"

* * *

"Orochimaru, why are you turning against this village?" The white-haired defendant shouted at the one who summoned the snake.

"Ah, Jiraiya, you and the rest of Konoha are so naïve," Orochimaru hissed as the two traded blows.

"What are you talking about?"

"This village is so…restricting," Orochimaru explained, his eyes gleaming, "There are too many rules to follow, rules that surpress one's…potential."

"Being a part of a village is an honor," Jiraiya shot back, forming hand signs.

"In that case, I could easily create my own village. A village where I rule everything," Orochimaru sneered, dodging Jiraiya's attack.

* * *

Itachi's breath came in painful gasps. He had been running as hard as he could for the past three minutes. Stamina had never been Itachi's strength, and he had a below average reserve of chakra. Now, he needed to take a break or his lungs were going to burst. His house was just around the corner anyway.

Turning the corner, Itachi was greeted by a gruesome sight. Bodies littered the street. Some of the corpses had had their necks broken, while others had crushed skulls. There were chain marks on some of them.

Shuddering, Itachi pushed open the door to his house. "Father! Mother! The village is under attack!" he shouted.

"Come on, Itachi. I know you're tired but if you stop, you'll be killed," Mikoto gently coaxed her son to keep running.

"Nii-san, what's going on?" Sasuke whimpered from Fugaku's back. Since Sasuke was only two years old, he was being carried by his father.

Out of the corner of his eye, Itachi saw something blue flash in the sky, but he disregarded it. "Everything…will be…ok…Sasuke," he gasped between breaths.

"But why is everyone yelling and running?"

"This is practice, Sasuke, just in case our village is threatened. Everyone is pretending," Mikoto lied to soothe her younger son.

Out of nowhere, Fugaku skidded to a halt. Itachi almost crashed into him, and Mikoto stopped beside her husband.

A cloaked figure stood in front of them, blocking their way forward.

_**Just some background information on the Akatsuki attackers: Natsubishi is about twelve years old with gray hair and black eyes. He is a Kekkei Genkai, which is Steel Style. Fukoku is around thirty-one with silver hair and blue eyes. She is from the Shadow Village (I made that up) and is immune to genjutsu of all levels. Momuri is from Sunagakure, approximately eighteen years old with gold hair and amber eyes. She is considered a master (or mistress?) of Wind Style.**_

_**Thanks for reading, and reviews are very appreciated!**_


	9. The Fifth Shadow

_**Remember that there's a poll up for this story on my profile. You can either vote in the poll or review your opinion. Question is at the end of this chapter.**_

"Who are you?" Fugaku demanded, taking out a kunai.

"Awww, what cute little kids!" the cloaked assailant cooed, "I just love little kids, especially the looks on their faces as I kill them!"

"What is wrong with her?" Mikoto muttered.

"Oh, right! You wanted my name. I'm Momuri." The person threw off her hood, revealing golden hair and a slashed forehead protector.

"Momuri of the Sand?" Fugaku questioned, "Wind Mistress Momuri?"

"That's right. Now, how about we make a deal? You tell me where the Kyuubi is, and I won't kill another Konoha shinobi," Momuri smiled.

"The Kyuubi is too powerful to be handed to anyone," Fugaku replied.

Momuri's attitude changed abruptly. "Fine. Watch your friends suffer," she hissed.

"Itachi, take Sasuke and get out of here," Fugaku ordered, handing Itachi his little brother.

"But…!" Itachi protested.

"Now!" Mikoto gave Itachi a shove. Itachi turned and fled, pulling Sasuke with him.

* * *

"We're almost there, Sasuke," Itachi panted.

"Nii-san, I don't want to practice anymore," Sasuke cried.

"It's ok, Sasuke. Tomorrow, you're going to wake up and realize that this was all a bad dream," Itachi's attempts to soothe his brother were futile.

"Nii-san, behind you!" Sasuke warned.

Itachi felt a lurch of fear and turned to see that Momuri had caught up with them, floating through the air.

"Found you, little brats!" she said triumphantly as she continued to manipulate the wind, allowing herself to fly around them in a circle.

"What have you done to my parents?" Itachi demanded shakily.

"I didn't do anything. A friend of mine showed up to keep them busy so I could catch you."

_How many enemies are there?_ Itachi wailed internally. He took out a kunai and armed himself as best he could.

* * *

Fukoku laughed at Fugaku's and Mikoto's attempts to defeat her. _These Konoha shinobi will never learn._ It had been a long time since she'd had a good fight and she was enjoying this.

Her chain wrapped itself around Fugaku's neck. "This is it for you," Fukoku declared.

However, the chain was sliced in two before she could break his neck. "Tsk. Interferance," she cursed.

"Uchiha, get going! We'll deal with this one!" A group of ANBU black ops had arrived.

"Be careful!" Mikoto called to the reinforcements as she and Fugaku went to pursue Momuri.

Fukoku was annoyed. "You made me lose my prey!" she hissed as her broken chain reattached itself, "I'm not gonna forgive you!"

* * *

"What's the matter, kid?" Momuri scoffed as she dodged Itachi's attacks, "Too weak to deal with even one of us?"

She formed signs and took a deep breath. Itachi glanced wildly around, finding no place to shelter from a Wind Release technique.

Wind Release: Air Cutter! Momuri blew in Itachi's direction. Blades of wind sliced through the air, leaving deep slashes in the ground and destroying the buildings on the side.

Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu! A giant fireball shot past Itachi, pushing the wind blades back. Fugaku continued to blast chakra through his mouth, directing the fireball straight to Momuri.

"Damn you, Fire-users!" she yelped as the fireball drew closer.

Suddenly, another fireball flew past Momuri and clashed with Fugaku's technique, keeping the latter at bay. After holding the jutsu for a few more seconds, Fugaku halted the jutsu and both fireballs disappeared.

Another cloaked ninja jumped down, landing beside Momuri. This one carried a large fan with them, and ebony hair stuck out from under the hood despite the face being hidden.

"Stop leaving your fan around for me to pick up," the newcomer said, tossing the fan to Momuri. Her voice was colder than ice and betrayed no emotions.

Momuri caught the fan, grinning. "Heh, sorry about that, partner. I was too excited."

Momuri's partner said nothing, but merely turned to face Itachi, his parents, and the other Konoha shinobi that had arrived.

"There have been a total count of five intruders, sir," a Konoha jonin told Fugaku, "One of them is Natsubishi of the Steel Release, another is Fukoku of the Shadow Village, there's Wind Mistress Momuri, Orochimaru, and this one, who we haven't identified yet." He gestured to the hooded figure.

"Then we'll identify her now," Fugaku growled

Momuri smirked. "If you must know, my partner isn't someone who is predictable. If she doesn't want to be identified, then there's no way you'll be able to find out who she is. Probably better if you don't anyway."

"Too bad. We're going to find out who she is even if we have to use force," Fugaku said.

"You won't have to worry about force…Father." The unknown ninja's statement made everyone freeze.

"What did she just say?" Mikoto whispered, staring at the one who spoke.

The ninja stepped forward and grasped the edge of her hood. Slowly, she pulled it off, revealing her face and getting shocked looks from the Konoha shinobi.

Her long ebony hair framed her face, and a slashed Konoha forehead protector was tied around her head. Her eyes were the mark of the Uchiha Clan.

"Ane…" Itachi wasn't sure if he should be happy or angry.

Uchiha Tsubaki was the fifth member of the Akatsuki.

_**Poll question: This might be a bit of a spoiler but I really want to hear your opinion. Since Itachi and Tsubaki are both going to be resurrected through Edo Tensei, should they meet before the Itachi-Sasuke confrontation with Kabuto, or should they meet during the big fight with the Juubi?**_

_**Please review your opinion or go to my profile and cast your vote there. Thanks.**_


	10. The Reason for Betrayal

_**The poll on my profile is still open! Cast your vote or simply review your answer.**_

_**Question: Since Itachi and Tsubaki are both gonna be resurrected, should they meet before or after the Itachi and Sasuke-Kabuto fight?**_

_**It only takes a few seconds to vote, so please respond!**_

* * *

"Why are you a part of this invasion?" Fugaku yelled at his daughter.

"Because this is a part of my path to power," she replied monotonously, casually deflecting shurikens that were thrown at her.

"What do you mean 'path to power'?" Fugaku engaged Tsubaki in a taijutsu battle although he wasn't really intending to harm the latter.

Tsubaki kicked Fugaku away. They both skidded to a halt, facing each other. "Staying in this village has suppressed my potential. I left to gain power."

"So you attack your own village?" The shock was evident in Mikoto's voice. Tsubaki turned her cold Sharingan gaze onto her mother.

"This village is the reason I was weak three years ago. I guess this attack could be called…revenge."

"Why didn't you just stay in Konoha and train?"

"Konoha has too many rules. One cannot truly become strong in a village," Tsubaki replied, closing her eyes, "Since I'm here, I have something to show my fellow Uchihas. Something that I gained over the past three years."

The Uchiha Clan tensed as Tsubaki's eyes fluttered open again. Her eyes still had the black and red of the Sharingan, but Itachi saw that the design had changed. Instead of the three tomoe circling the pupil, there was a spider web-like pattern in both eyes. What surprised Itachi even more was the reaction of the Clan.

"You…!" Fugaku was lost for words. Mikoto gasped, eyes wide.

"You killed my sister!" Tekka Uchiha snarled, glaring at Tsubaki with hatred.

"Indeed, I did. Kaeri was easy prey since she knew nothing about my true intentions, just like all of you," Tsubaki confirmed.

"I won't forgive you!" Tekka formed seals and performed the Great Fireball Technique despite Fugaku's command to stop.

Tsubaki raised her hand so her palm was facing the fireball roaring towards her at an alarming speed. The flames surrounded her until only her flickering silhouette could be seen.

"Come on, Tsubaki! Don't let yourself get caught that easily!" Momuri called from where she grappled with three Konoha shinobis.

The flames were diminishing, and when the last flare disappeared, Tsubaki was completely unharmed. She lowered her arm. "Idaina shōheki (1). The shield that protects the user from all ninjutsu attacks."

Tekka became angrier. "Die!" he shouted, pulling a scroll from his pouch. Tearing it open, he threw it above Tsubaki, who watched it with cold interest.

Kunais materialized from the scroll, surrounding Tsubaki from all directions. Tekka formed a sign, commanding the kunais to kill.

The kunais zeroed in on their target, closing all escape gaps.

Tsubaki just stood there, calmly watching the kunais approach. From Itachi's position, it looked as though his sister was shrinking. Glancing down, he saw that her sister was sinking into the ground, becoming a mere shadow.

The kunais struck the ground where Tsubaki had stood. The shadow dodged out of view, camouflaged with other shadows. The Uchihas glanced around wildly, hoping to seek it out.

Momuri grinned. "I guess that's my clue to get out of here while I can." She commanded the wind to carry her up into the sky, where she hovered to watch what was going to happen next.

"Up there!" Itachi shouted, pointing up at the sky.

Heads turned to see Tsubaki outlined against the moon. Large, black wings flapped powerfully to keep the kunoichi in the air. Meanwhile, said kunoichi was holding a black energy sphere in her hands. Itachi would have thought his sister looked cool if she wasn't trying to attack them.

"Scatter!" Fugaku howled just as Tsubaki sent the black sphere flying towards them.

It was too late to run. Fugaku grabbed Mikoto and dodged behind a large boulder. Itachi and Shisui threw themselves on top of Sasuke, shielding the latter from any damage. The rest of the Uchiha Clan buried themselves under anything that could shelter them.

The moment the sphere touched the earth, a black ring appeared at the place of contact. It expanded swiftly and silently. Fukoku, who had just arrived, let out a shriek as the ring approached her and flung herself to the ground to avoid it.

One of the shinobis that Momuri fought failed to hide himself in time. The ring passed through him. His eyes widened and he let out a strangled cry. The skin on his face sagged and fell off, revealing his skull. His skeleton collapsed on the ground on top of the decayed flesh. Sasuke, who had the terrible timing to peer out from under Itachi's arm, screamed.

"Nii-san! There's a ghost over there!" he wailed, pointing at the corpse.

Footsteps in their direction made Itachi and Shisui scramble up to protect Sasuke. Momuri stared down at them.

"Looks like this little brat is suffering from a traumatic experience," she called to Fukoku and Tsubaki, "Can I kill him to put him out of his misery?"

"Leave my brother alone!" Itachi planted himself firmly in front of Sasuke. He stared past Momuri to where Tsubaki, now wingless, stood. She stared coldly back.

"What's going on here?" Natsubishi and Orochimaru jumped down next to Fukoku.

"Leader-sama said that your Kuraiton: Dākuparusu (2) should not be used, Tsubaki-san," Natsubishi reminded.

"Too late for that…hmm?" Fukoku was interrupted by a faint buzzing in her mind, something the others felt too.

"_It's time to retreat,"_ their Leader's voice echoed through their minds.

"Already? But we haven't found the Kyuubi yet!" Fukoku objected.

"_Sand Ninja are coming to assist the Leaf. Remember that we want our organization to remain secret. Retreat."_ With that, the buzzing faded.

"Eh, whatever." Fukoku immediately turned and jumped away, followed by Orochimaru. Natsubishi paused when Momuri and Tsubaki didn't move.

"Are you two coming?" he questioned.

"After I deal with this little brat," Momuri answered.

"I'll take care of him," Tsubaki insisted, "You go on ahead."

Momuri cast her partner a curious glance but backed off. Tsubaki placed her hands together in a seal. A tiny, purple light appeared at the tips of her fingers. It headed towards Sasuke, who freaked out and tried to run. Instead, he found that he couldn't move. Itachi and Shisui ran forward in a desperate attempt to stop Tsubaki, but Momuri and Natsubishi stopped them.

"Be grateful, brat, that Tsubaki-san isn't killing your little brother," Momuri hissed in Itachi's ear.

"Then what is she doing?" Itachi writhed in an attempt to free himself.

"She is performing Memori chūshutsu (3) to erase his memories of this night," Natsubishi said in a bored voice as he held Shisui.

Itachi and Shisui watched as the purple light entered Sasuke's forehead. The little boy's eyes became glazed and he fell to the ground in a limp heap.

(1)Great Barrier

(2)Dark Release: Dark Pulse

(3)Memory Extraction

_**Don't forget to vote! Reviews are appreciated and thanks for reading!**_


	11. Change

_**The poll is still up! Please vote or review!**_

_**Question: Since Itachi and Tsubaki are both going to be resurrected, should they meet before or after the Itachi-Sasuke vs. Kabuto battle?**_

"I think you've overused your eyes, Tsubaki-san," Natsubishi calmly stated, observing Tsubaki.

"Yeah, she did," Momuri agreed, releasing Itachi. Itachi rushed to where Sasuke lay.

"What did you do to him?" Itachi shouted at Tsubaki.

"He is merely unconscious. He'll wake up soon," Tsubaki said indifferently. Her eyes had changed back to the normal Sharingan and she was panting slightly.

Itachi felt anger rise up in him. "How could you betray Konoha?" he yelled, unable to control himself any longer, "What did Konoha do to make you this way?"

She said nothing, merely staring at him with impassive eyes.

"Itachi, stop," Fugaku called as he emerged from behind the rock with Mikoto, "Let them go. We cannot hope to take on all three of them."

Itachi gritted his teeth. He knew that even though he was considered a prodigy, Momuri, Natsubishi, and Tsubaki were still too strong for him.

Natsubishi released Shisui, who immediately ran to Itachi's side. "I'm bored," Natsubishi said, "Let's hurry up and get back so we can get Leader's lecture over with." He left. Momuri followed.

Tsubaki turned around so she was facing away from the survivors of her Dark Release. "You're so weak, Itachi," her voice was cold and disapproving, "You rely on your village too much. You hid behind your Clanmates, watching them fight me. You'll never become strong."

Itachi lost it. He formed six hand signs, performing Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu. When the fireball vanished, a shape could be seen flying away from the village.

Tears of frustration and fury spilled over, and Itachi cried as he watched his sister leave the village forever.

The majority of the village was in ruins. Orochimaru's snake had flattened many buildings while Momuri's wind sliced others. Many of the dead were killed by Fukoku. Others, shinobi and civilians alike, were trapped in cages of steel, skewered to death. Repairs would take months, maybe years.

What was most discouraging was the appearance of Tsubaki. Most of the residents of Konoha had truly believed Tsubaki had died. The ones who didn't think she was dead weren't boasting either. The Hokage placed Tsubaki as an S-ranked missing nin in the bingo book, signaling that she was now meant to be killed.

The Uchiha Clan suffered badly. Tsubaki had damaged their pride greatly. Fugaku and Mikoto refused to speak of their daughter, and Itachi no longer went to the markets every day. Sasuke, however, was the only one oblivious to the tension in the Clan, since Tsubaki had modified his memory.

* * *

Four years later…

"That's my boy," Fugaku chuckled, "Entering the ANBU black ops…I'm so proud."

Itachi said nothing since Sasuke was right outside the room. Even after entering the ninja academy, the younger of the two siblings never received much attention from their father. Itachi could tell Sasuke was jealous of him.

Due to mistrust from the village, the Uchiha Clan started planning a coup d'etat to take over Konoha. Fugaku was the mastermind, and Itachi was meant to spy on Konoha. Sasuke knew nothing since he was so young, but Fugaku planned to tell him as soon as he was old enough.

The village had recovered from the attack. The buildings were fixed, and the shock had vanished. The only difference was that the five missing-nins were wanted by the Konoha shinobi. The Third Hokage had refused to tell the other villages about the invaders, to the disapproval of Danzo and the counselors. Itachi agreed with the Hokage's decision though.

"Let's go, Itachi." Fugaku stood up. Itachi followed suit and the two left to attend a village meeting held by the Third Hokage.

Itachi could still remember the last village meeting, held by the Fourth Hokage. Unfortunately, the Fourth Hokage died six years ago during the Kyuubi's attack.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stood at the top of the Hokage's building with Danzo and the counselors, Homura and Koharu, next to him.

Itachi glanced around, slightly surprised to see so many ANBU members attending the meeting. They usually stayed in the underground base, waiting for Danzo to tell them the news.

The Hokage started to speak. "I am glad to see the village thriving and in good shape," he said, "Our ninjas are well-trained, loyal, and courageous. Things have been peaceful for quite some time."

Itachi narrowed his eyes. The Third Hokage was up to something. Clearly, some other people thought so as well due to the shifting and mutterings in the crowd.

"I have decided to take action against the ones that attacked our village four years ago." The muttering rose to a debate. Some people wanted revenge against the five while others preferred to leave the matter alone.

Itachi considered both sides. If they took action, they would most likely lose many ninjas in the battle, but it could protect them from any future threat. Do nothing, and the five could easily attack again, killing more. His stomach clenched at the thought of coming face-to-face with Tsubaki again.

Lord Third raised his hand for silence. "I have already made this decision, and I hope you will all understand that I am doing this for the sake of the village." The crowd fell silent.

"All Jonin and ANBU will report here tomorrow morning at dawn, and I will assign the hunting groups. Please be well-prepared. You are now dismissed." With a wave of his hand, the civilians scattered.

* * *

"They will most likely assign you and Shisui to the Tsubaki-hunt," Fugaku told Itachi on their way back to the Uchiha quarters.

"Is this why you had me join ANBU, Father?" Itachi asked.

"No. I knew nothing about this."

"…"

"I think you are the only one who can kill Tsubaki."

Itachi betrayed his surprise by blinking. "How?"

"You know her well."

"I do not," Itachi stated firmly, "The Tsubaki I knew is dead."

"No. She still lives, but she is leaning towards the darkness. Perhaps you can bring her back before it is too late." Fugaku's eyes locked with Itachi's.

"Even if I bring her back, will everyone else accept her?"

Fugaku sighed. He suddenly looked like an old man. "I doubt they will."

"So I have no choice but to kill her."

"I suppose so."

"If you knew she will be killed, why did you still ask me to bring her back?" Itachi was bewildered.

Fugaku sighed again. "I don't know, son. Maybe I just wanted to give myself a little hope for the Clan."

Itachi felt a brief flash of anger at the mention of the Clan. Why did everything have to be for the Clan? What selfishness. Nevertheless, Itachi held his tongue as his father slid open the door to their home.

* * *

Water dripped in the dark cave, breaking the silence. There was barely any light, with the exception of the tiny rays filtering in from the cracks in the cave walls. A musty feeling hung in the air, stifling any noise.

Suddenly, a buzzing sound echoed throughout the cave as a silhouette materialized from thin air. The silhouette proved to be a person with spiky hair and ringed eyes. He clapped his hands together in a hand sign, chakra flooding off him in waves.

"_Assemble_," he commanded. His voice bounced mechanically off the walls.

There was a flurry of buzzing as nine more silhouettes popped into the cave, standing in a circle around the one who summoned them.

"_What is it this time, Leader-sama?_" the outline of a long-haired woman asked.

"_As long as it breaks the monotony. I'm bored,_" a boy complained.

"_It will, Natsubishi,_" their leader said, "_I think this piece of news will be especially interesting to our two Konoha friends._"

"_Keh. Those fools,_" a snake-eyed man snickered. The person next to him stayed silent, watching the leader with her Sharingan.

"_Well, hurry up and tell us,_" a woman carrying a long rectangular object on her back said impatiently.

"_Hmph._" The leader closed his eyes for a moment. "_Konoha has decided to start a hunt._"

"_They're going to hunt us?_" Fukoku asked.

"_What else are they going to hunt? Rabbits?_" Momuri countered. Fukoku shot Momuri a nasty glare.

"_Konoha shinobi will be roaming around starting tomorrow. I advise you all to be careful. Especially you five._" The leader's gaze raked the five who had attacked the village four years ago.

"_Tsubaki, is there any chance of meeting your brother?_" Orochimaru sneered. Tsubaki glared at her fellow Konoha missing-nin. Suddenly, Orochimaru gasped, clutching his head.

"_That's enough!_" Leader cut in, "_Tsubaki, your eyes are valuable to us. Do not use them lightly. Orochimaru, stop angering your fellow members._"

Once everyone had calmed down, the leader spoke again. "_Now you know why I called you back. I want to tell everyone to take caution as you go on your separate missions. Good luck._"

With a final buzzing, all ten silhouettes vanished, returning the cave to its mournful state.

_**I know there have been a lot of time skips in this story. It's just that I want to get to the actually important stuff, and I can't think of anything to fill in the gaps. But thanks for sticking through with me!**_

_**Reviews are appreciated, and don't forget to take part in the poll!**_


	12. Hunt and Kill

_**Poll is still up! It's coming down on March 8**__**th**__**, so cast your vote before it's too late! It is currently a tie between before and after, and if it remains this way when the poll closes, I will just pick one.**_

_**Question: Since Itachi and Tsubaki are both going to be resurrected, should they meet before or after the Itachi-Sasuke vs. Kabuto battle?**_

"The Natsubishi-hunters will be Uchiha Shisui, Maito Gai, Uchiha Mashigi, Yamanaka Inoichi, and Kohaku Michi." The named ninjas got into a group away from the ones still waiting to be divided.

"Fukoku-hunt will consist of Yuhi Kurenai, Sarutobi Asuma, Torune, and Fu." The four ninjas separated themselves from the others.

"Momuri-hunt is Yamato, Uchiha Morin, Nara Shikaku, and Akimichi Choza." A couple nods came from the ninjas mentioned.

"Orochimaru will be left alone for now. I don't want too many high-leveled shinobi absent from the village at a time." More nods of agreement came from the assembled ninjas.

"Tsubaki-hunt will be Hatake Kakashi, Inuzuka Tsume, Hyuga Hiashi, and Uchiha Itachi."

A few heads turned towards Itachi, but other than that, there wasn't much reaction to the last named hunt. Itachi wasn't surprised in the least and he kept his face impassive.

The Third Hokage continued, "The rogues travel in pairs, and we've managed to gather that Tsubaki and Momuri are a pair. Chances are those two will be together. I want the Momuri-hunt and the Tsubaki-hunt to stick together until their targets are found."

The two groups molded together to form a patrol of eight.

"Go."

* * *

"What are the main things we should be wary of in our enemies?" Kakashi asked wanting to make sure everyone knew what they were doing.

"Momuri's extremely powerful Wind Release," Shikaku answered.

"And Tsubaki's eyes and Dark Release," Choza added.

Itachi narrowed his eyes. He wanted to avoid a fight but going against those rogue ninjas threw all peaceful tactics out the window. In fact, the only one who seemed most likely to agree to a bloodless solution was Tsubaki, but she proved that theory wrong four years ago.

Even if he didn't want to, Itachi would have to kill Tsubaki to protect Konoha.

* * *

"Since Fukoku is immune to genjutsu, we'll have to use taijutsu or ninjutsu against her," Asuma summarized, drawing on the ground with a stick.

"She is really good at wielding that regenerating chain of hers, too," Kurenai said, "It's probably best if we attack her from a distance."

"I guess that leaves ninjutsu as our only option," Fu snorted.

"Or maybe one of us could distract her as the others attack close-range," Torune suggested.

"That's rather risky…" Asuma scrunched his nose.

"We'll have to take risks if we want to fine the best way to defeat her." Kurenai snapped a twig in two.

* * *

"What's that up ahead?" Shisui activated his Sharingan and peered in the direction of the flash of movement he just saw.

"Is it our target?" Inoichi asked, halting on a branch.

Shisui stared for a moment longer as his team waited anxiously beside him. At last, he reported, "It's gone."

"Gone?" Mashigi echoed.

"It disappeared. I don't know where it…"

A giant steel spike interrupted Shisui's bewildered observation. Shisui's surprised exclamation was lost as the branch he stood on tore away from the tree with a nasty crunch. Shisui just managed to avoid falling face-first of the ground by jumping onto another nearby branch.

"Surprise, Konoha."

"Natsubishi!" Gai exclaimed. The patrol got into a battle stance.

"Found you," Michi said, pulling a kunai from her bag.

"Wrong. I found you," Natsubishi corrected, folding his arms around his chest.

"No matter. You're going down today," Mashigi declared.

Natsubishi smiled. He pulled out a pair of daggers. The blades gleamed in the sun. "Sorry. I don't plan to die any time soon. I guess you'll just have to die in my place."

_**I'm sorry about the short chapter. Longer chapters shall come in the future, I promise.**_

_**Please participate in the poll!**_

_**Reviews are appreciated, and thanks for reading.**_


	13. Wish of a Steel Heart

_**Vote in the poll!**_

_**Question: Since Itachi and Tsubaki are both going to be resurrected through Edo Tensei, should they meet before the confrontation with Kabuto or after?**_

"I was hoping I would get more of a challenge this time," Natsubishi sighed disappointedly as he dodged all of the attacks aimed at him by the Konoha patrol.

"Let the power of youth defeat this scoundrel!" Gai hollered, opening the sixth chakra gate.

"Power of youth?" Natsubishi scoffed, "Next, you'll be telling me there's a 'power of elder' as well."

Gai charged, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Natsubishi was sent flying into the air with the force of Gai's kick. Not giving Natsubishi a chance to recover, Gai jumped into the air behind Natsubishi and performed the move Morning Peacock. But something was off.

Shisui focused his Sharingan on the battling pair in the sky, squinting in concentration. Gai dealt Natsubishi a final blow. The Iwa renegade slammed into the ground, causing a large crater and a cloud of dust to form where he struck.

"Did we kill him?" Michi asked, venturing forward to see what befell Natsubishi.

"I think so," Inoichi murmured, standing next to Michi.

"Wrong," a cold voice said.

Everyone froze, and before they could do anything else, a blade burst through Michi's chest.

"Michi!" Mashigi shrieked. Michi's eyes had gone wide and blood spurted from her mouth. Natsubishi stood behind her, eyeing the blood dripping down his arm.

"But…" Gai turned back to the beaten up Natsubishi, only to find a lump of metal where the body had laid.

Natsubishi mercilessly yanked the steel blade out of Michi's body. The blade swiftly transformed back into a hand, covered in Michi's blood. Michi was already dead, falling onto the ground with a thump.

More steel restraints burst up from the ground and wrapped themselves around the wrists, ankles, necks, and waists of the remaining patrol members as Natsubishi formed the hand signs to a jutsu.

Haganeton: Juusan Kinzoku no Kane! (1)

Thirteen bells made of steel materialized in a wide circle around Natsubishi. The bells hung in midair and as the incapacitated patrol watched, one of the bells sounded. _Dong…_

"Please do me the honor of being the first ones to witness my new jutsu," Natsubishi said sarcastically, "Tsubaki-san helped me create it. Too bad I can only use it once."

"Damn it," Shisui hissed, struggling against his steel bonds.

"Once the last bell rings, steel spikes will pierce anything within a ten mile radius of me. It will be very quick. You won't even know you're dead," Natsubishi continued, a dreamy look covering his face.

_Dong…_

"You want to know why I'm doing this?" Natsubishi suddenly asked, "It's because I lost my family in the War!" His face abruptly took on a furious and slightly deranged look. "They were killed by Konoha!" he screamed.

The patrol stopped struggling to process this new bit of information as Natsubishi began pacing. "I vowed that I would bring peace to this world. The peace that my parents had fought for. But my fellow Iwa ninjas only talked of fighting and war. I couldn't stand them, so I left. After wandering as a missing-nin for a couple weeks, I found a place. Akatsuki is an organization dedicated to bringing peace to this world. I had a chance to accomplish my dream, so I joined Akatsuki."

_Dong…_

"If you wanted peace, why did you attack Konoha four years ago?" Shisui asked, confused by Natsubishi's actions and beliefs.

"The attack would have been unnecessary if you had just given us the Kyuubi," Natsubishi snarled.

"Why do you need the Kyuubi to bring peace?" Inoichi questioned.

"The Akatsuki needs to gather all nine of the Tailed-Beasts to create a master strength, which will keep the nations under control." Natsubishi resumed his pacing.

_Dong…_

Natsubishi glanced at the bells. "Was that the fourth already? The interval between each ring is shorter than I thought."

Shisui had had enough. "You think that plan is going to work? Do you realize how many people you will have to kill to complete that?" he yelled, struggling against the steel restraints more strongly now.

"They will be necessary sacrifices to achieve the greater good," Natsubishi explained calmly as he pulled a ring off his left ring finger.

_Dong…_

"There are other ways to find peace," Shisui attempted to coax the steel-user.

"Then please take the time to explain them to me." Natsubishi stared at Shisui with dead-looking eyes.

"Talking!" Gai interrupted, "Ninjas can negotiate and discuss things with one another!"

"Why didn't the nations do that for the Third Great Ninja War? My family needn't have died if the Kages negotiated." Gai opened his mouth wordlessly at Natsubishi's rebuttal.

_Dong…_

"Look," Shisui said desperately, "I'm sorry that you lost your family and that all of your attempts to bring peace were thwarted, but you're not the only one who suffered from the war. I lost a Clan member, Uchiha Obito, and many friends as well. The thing is, even though you lose people who are precious to you, life goes on. Dwelling on the past isn't how you want to live your life."

Natsubishi refused to budge. "And what do you think you can do about this?" he asked calmly.

_Dong…_

"I…I don't know," Shisui stammered, unsure of what Natsubishi was asking.

The latter walked closer. "If you could, would you bring peace for this world?"

"Yes, I would," Shisui replied, still confused as to Natsubishi's reasons for asking these questions.

Natsubishi stared into Shisui's eyes for a while longer before letting out a sigh and turning away.

_Dong…_

"Shit! Shisui, what do we do?" Mashigi cried, "That was the eighth ring!" Out of nowhere, the restraints holding him unwrapped themselves and sunk back into the ground, leaving a shocked Mashigi staring at the ground where the steel poles vanished.

"What the…?" Shisui started as his restraints released him too. Movements from behind him signaled that Gai and Inoichi had also been freed.

"I…made many mistakes," Natsubishi said, still with his back to the Konoha patrol, "It's too late for me to fix them now, and most of them could not be fixed anyway."

"What are you…?" Shisui asked but Natsubishi interrupted him.

"I've reached the end. This jutsu is one of those techniques that sacrifice the user. That's right. I'm letting you go…because I want believe you can accomplish what I failed." Natsubishi faced the Konoha shinobi, and they were shocked to see that he was crying and smiling at the same time.

_Dong…_

"I am no longer a member of Akatsuki," Natsubishi continued, unbuttoning the black cloak decorated with red clouds and flinging it to the ground beside him.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked when the Konoha ninjas didn't budge, "If you don't leave now, you will not survive, and my last attempt to bring peace will be wasted."

Wordlessly, Mashigi picked up Michi's body and jumped into the trees, heading back to Konoha. Gai and Inoichi paused a little before following. Shisui still hesitated before saying, "Natsubishi…thank you."

The gray-haired boy blinked in surprise. "You're welcome…Shisui-san."

_Dong…_

"Go. Run. Don't look back," Natsubishi urged. Shisui nodded and fled in the direction as his companions.

_Uchiha Shisui, I place my faith in you. Bring this world the peace that it has long needed and deserved. Take care of your companions. Live the life of an honorable shinobi…_

_Dong…_

_Do what I failed to do. Cover up my mistakes. Protect those you love. Never give up…_

_Dong…_

_And one day, you and I will see each other in the afterlife._

_Dong._

* * *

Shisui pushed himself faster as the sound of steel spikes erupting from the earth reached his ears. Chancing a backwards look, he was alarmed to see that the spikes were catching up. If he didn't hurry, he would be skewered.

He was running at full speed now. The other three had already reached safe ground so he only had to worry about getting himself out of this mess. Without warning, his foot slipped and he fell to the ground. Gasping in breathlessness and terror, he scrambled away from the approaching line of steel shafts. Thinking that this was the end, he closed his eyes and waited for death.

He felt nothing. Cautiously opening one eye, he found that the line of prongs had stopped right in front of him. Uchiha Shisui had just barely made it out of range.

* * *

At the center of the spike circle, a young boy with gray hair smiled serenely despite the spike protruding from his chest. A light breeze blew across his face, lifting his hair gently, almost as if carrying his soul to the afterlife.

1. Steel Release: Thirteen Metal Bells

_**Natsubishi's death was so sad! I had to persuade myself not to cry as I wrote the last paragraph. *sniff* Moving on, I'm sure you want to know more about his Thirteen Metal Bells jutsu. This jutsu is a very deadly technique which sacrifices the user in order to work. The user cannot escape this because he/she is considered the 'center' of the circle. If he/she moves, the entire circle will move. The jutsu can't be undone either. Once the hand seals are performed, the jutsu will continue no matter what. So yeah, it's a really dangerous jutsu that Natsubishi used a little too lightly.**_

_**But anyway, review!**_


	14. Fated Battle

_**Poll is closed. Hope you cast your vote!**_

"I see," the Third Hokage muttered, resting his head on his hands. The remaining members of the Natsubishi hunt shifted their weight.

The Third stood up. "We will hold a funeral for Michi after the other three patrols get back. The four of you are to go assist the Fukoku hunt after resting in the village for three hours."

"Understood," the four elite ninjas chorused before teleporting out of the office.

* * *

"Anything unusual?" Kakashi asked Hiashi. The Hyuuga had activated his Byakugan and was keeping an eye out for ambushes.

"Nothing," Hiashi reported.

"Not even from the Momuri hunt?"

"Nope."

After a long silence as the Tsubaki hunt made its way forward, Hiashi suddenly shouted, "There's someone up ahead!"

"Who?" Tsume sniffed the air.

"I think it's Momuri," Hiashi glared in front.

"Send up the signal for the Momuri hunt to come here immediately," Kakashi ordered. Tsume took the firecracker from her pocket and lit the fuse. The firecracker shot into the sky and burst, sending red sparks flying through the air.

Momuri appeared from the trees, and the patrol tensed, prepared for an attack that might come their way. To their surprise, Momuri halted on a branch a couple feet away, looked around, and said, "I guess this is my boundary."

"What is she talking about?" Tsume hissed to Kakashi. The latter shrugged.

"Hey, you! Uchiha!" Momuri shouted to the patrol, pointing a finger at Itachi. Itachi said nothing, but merely narrowed his eyes into a glare.

"You're the only one who is allowed to proceed past me. The rest of you must stay here," Momuri said.

"Why?" Kakashi demanded.

Momuri shrugged. "Tsubaki-san's orders. I dunno what she wants with her brother. Probably gonna kill him."

Hiashi raised his palm and pushed in Momuri's direction. Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!

The patrol waited for Momuri to be thrown backwards, but instead, there was a rippling pattern a couple feet in front of Momuri. The Akatsuki member was completely unaffected.

"Of course. That's what she was talking about," Kakashi sighed.

"Idaina Shoheki! Should have remembered, suckers!" Momuri laughed at them.

Tsume ground her teeth together. "So Tsubaki is capable of extending the shield now?" she muttered.

Itachi remained completely calm and walked forward, crossing into the shield's boundary without any trouble. Momuri smirked and pointed into the forest, "About ten miles straight," she instructed, "She's waiting for you."

"Itachi, get back here this instant!" Hiashi ordered.

"We're going together, Itachi. Hokage-sama made us a group," Tsume added.

Momuri chuckled. "Just try making your way past Idaina Shoheki. I guarantee you'll fail."

Kakashi made a shadow clone. The clone charged towards the shield, only to be thrown back by an unseen force. It hit a branch and disappeared.

"Tsubaki made this shield so that only Akatsuki members and her little brother could walk through." Momuri twirled her fan, "Anyone else is repelled."

"Itachi, don't go," Kakashi called, "We'll wait and go fight Tsubaki together."

"No," Itachi replied, "I will go alone. She wants to speak with me, without interference."

"What if you two fight?" Tsume snapped, "You've gotten much stronger and can probably beat the three of us if you wanted, but you still don't stand a chance against Tsubaki!"

"We won't know that unless I go," Itachi countered, jumping away into the trees.

"Tsk! Any mention of his sister and he becomes a reckless little kid," Tsume growled.

Momuri leaned against a tree trunk. "Don't worry. If he doesn't survive, we'll be sure to send you the corpse!" She snickered.

"Unless of course, Sasori-san wishes to turn the boy into one of his human puppets," she added thoughtfully, tapping her chin.

"Your organization is comprised of a bunch of sick freaks who don't deserve to be called shinobi!" Tsume snarled.

"Oh? And what about you?" Momuri leaned forward, "Aren't the Five Great Nations the ones who always declare wars and make the smaller countries suffer?"

"How close is the Momuri-hunt?" Kakashi asked Hiashi.

"Twenty miles and closing," Hiashi answered.

A Venus flytrap slowly wiggled its way out of the tree branch Momuri was standing on. The two leaves opened to reveal a person, who was divided in half. One side was white while the other was black.

"Zetsu, what are you doing here?" Momuri asked.

"We wanted to check on how you were doing. **The boy has reached Tsubaki-san, by the way**." The three Konoha ninjas were surprised to hear two different voices coming from the plant-person, Zetsu.

"Good," Momuri answered. "Any other news?"

"Natsubishi is dead. **Fortunately, we have found someone to replace him. **After you deal with these meddlesome ninjas, you and Tsubaki are to go welcome the new member. **His name is Hoshigaki Kisame.**"

Momuri grinned. "Sweet. But how did Natsubishi die?"

"**Not exactly sure, but it seems he used his ultimate technique.** What a shame." With that, Zetsu sunk back into the tree and vanished.

"Hahhh…looks like Akatsuki is going to be losing a lot of members," Momure sighed.

"How is one member a lot?" Kakashi narrowed his eye suspiciously.

"None of your business," Momuri countered. She flipped open her fan. "I suppose I better keep my promise to Tsubaki, or she'll murder me herself."

* * *

"You've completely mastered the Sharingan," Tsubaki stated as her little brother stepped into the clearing.

Itachi said nothing. He kept his eyes on his sister's movements, ready to defend himself in case she attacked.

"You have something you want to talk about." Tsubaki's eyes pierced Itachi's, reading the emotions and thoughts in his mind.

"Father wants you to come back," Itachi said.

Tsubaki stared at him for a long moment before sighing and closing her eyes. "Actions cannot be withdrawn."

Itachi took that as a 'no'. "You are going to attack Konoha again."

"It has not been decided," she answered.

"Why did you want to speak with me alone?" Itachi changed the subject abruptly.

"You are becoming too much of a threat to the Akatsuki." The reason was so simple, yet Itachi was taken aback.

Recovering quickly, he looked Tsubaki straight in the eyes. "So this is a battle to the death."

Tsubaki activated her Sharingan, so the two eye techniques clashed. "Yes."

"Why didn't you kill me all those years ago, when Akatsuki first attacked Konoha?" Itachi asked, trying to buy himself time to come up with a strategy.

Tsubaki's eyes narrowed. "Don't try to buy yourself time, little brother, it won't work."

"But to answer your question, it's because I didn't believe that you could become this dangerous. A mistake on my part," she added.

Itachi frowned. Something was out of place. Tsubaki would never have made a mistake like that. She was the kind of person who could predict someone else's potential with amazing accuracy.

"Where is the Yin Sword?" Itachi noticed that his sister didn't seem to have the sword on her.

"Right here." Itachi blinked and felt a hand grasp his throat and slam him into a tree. Tsubaki's Mangekyou Sharingan glared into his own eyes. As he coughed and tried to regain his breath, a piercing pain entered his stomach. Glancing down, he saw the Yin Sword sticking out of his abdomen, blood welling up around the wound.

In a flash, Itachi found himself standing exactly where he had been before, completely fine. All that was just a genjutsu.

Drawing his katana just in time, his sword clashed with Tsubaki's kunai. Sharingan stared into Sharingan. Brother and sister began their fated battle.

"This is it…Itachi." Tsubaki's Sharingan melted into the Mangekyou, showing that she was completely serious this time.

* * *

_**Yes, I had a major writer's block with this story. I apologize for making you guys wait. It's all my fault!**_

_**As for the result of the poll, it was a tie between before and after, so I'm picking a random one and it will be after. Relax, I have the scenario planned (although I should plan Itachi's and Tsubaki's battle first, shouldn't I?).**_

_**REVIEW, EVERYONE!**_


	15. IMPORTANT!

_**Attention, all!**_

_**Due to the ridiculously large amount of schoolwork/homework I have and my desire to do well in my classes, I will NOT be updating my stories again until June. I will still be writing when I have free time, but I won't be uploading any chapters until school lets out.**_

_**Sorry to disappoint, but if I don't do well in school, I may never update again. It's better this way, trust me.**_

_**Thanks! ~Itachi-21**_


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